West Ham take on Dagenham & Redbridge in a much-needed friendly for the Daggers on Wednesday night but it's an important game for the Hammers players too - albeit for very different reasons.

Having had five days away in Miami last week which attracted attention for the wrong reasons, the players were given the weekend off and the majority of them will be joining up with their international teams this week ahead of the friendlies this upcoming weekend.

Those not representing their countries will be staying at Rush Green and training as of Monday morning and the game against Dagenham will be important for them to find some confidence that will have been drained after three straight defeats and five losses in seven Premier League games.

There have been some underperforming players in recent weeks and while the game and while a friendly match against non-league opposition may not seem significant, it could be for some players.

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Jordan Hugill will likely start the game for West Ham as he will take to the pitch for just a third time in claret and blue, Patrice Evra will get a run out, James Collins might want to right a few wrongs and so will Mark Noble.

Arthur Masuaku will also pull on a squad shirt for the first time in nearly three months after his six-game ban for spitting was finally ended after the Burnley game and he will want to put himself in the frame for a return against Southampton.

Arthur Masuaku in action for West Ham (Image: Masuaku)

Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell could get the chance to find some form as well ahead of the run-in when both will need to at their best.

Moyes has said he will be taking a strong squad to the Chigwell Construction Stadium and he needs to - so he can see who is going to be up for the relegation dogfight if he thinks changes need to be made. It's a case of now or never for the manager, he won't want to make any changes unless he absolutely has to any later than after the Saints clash on the 31st.

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The game is important for the Daggers to raise desperately needed cash so they can simply survive as a football club and while West Ham's plight pails into insignificance as they are not going out of business, it's important for the Premier League outfit after what has been a, shall we say, interesting fortnight in the life of the club.

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